Gi Ja-heon (奇自獻, 1562 – 1624) was a civil official and politician of mid-to-late Joseon. He was the son of Gi Eung-se (奇應世), a Sagwa (司果), and a son-in-law of Haewon-gun, the elder brother of King Seonjo. His early name was Gi Ja-jeong, his courtesy name was Sajeong (士靖), and his pen name was Manjeon (晩全). His family seat was Haengju (幸州). His princely title was Deokpyeong Buwon-gun (德平府院君).
After passing the civil service examination in 1590 (23rd year of Seonjo's reign), he rose through the posts of Vice Minister of Revenue, Right Director of the Office of the Inspector General, Right State Councillor and Left State Councillor of the State Council, and finally reached Chief State Councillor (Daegwang Boguk Sungrok Daebu Uijeongbu Yeongijeong) and Chief of the Central Administrative Office (Yeongjungchubu yeongsa). He was a hardline member of the Donin faction and a moderate member of the Daebuk faction. Initially he belonged to the Donin, but when the faction split over the punishment of Jeong Cheol, he supported the hardline position and became a Bukin (北人). When the Bukin later split into the Daebuk and Sobuk, he joined the Daebuk (大北). Although he belonged to the Daebuk, he disagreed with the party line and opposed the proposal to depose Queen Inmok, for which he suffered disadvantage. During the Injo Restoration, he was imprisoned on the grounds that he had refused to join the coup. He was then summarily executed on the grounds that he might collude with Yi Gwal's Rebellion.
For his local militia service during the Imjin War, he was awarded first-class Seonmu Wonjong gongsin (宣武原從功臣一等) in 1604 (37th year of Seonjo's reign). In 1604 he was also awarded first-class Wonjong gongsin for his participation in the case against Yu Yeong-gyeong. He was a son-in-law of the granddaughter of Prince Deokheung.
Biography
Early activities
He was the grandson of Gi Dae-hang, and the Neo-Confucian scholar Gi Dae-seung of the Myeongjong period was his first cousin once removed. His grandfather Gi Dae-hang was the figure who, in 1563, at the request of Sim Ui-gyeom, impeached Yi Ryang and other members of the Hungu faction, thereby opening the signal for the fall of the Hungu faction.
In 1582 he entered Seonggyungwan as a Confucian student and lived as a member of the Donin. In 1589 (27th year of Seonjo's reign), during the Jeong Yeo-rip incident, in which more than two thousand Donin figures were purged, he developed resentment toward Jeong Cheol, the chief investigator (wigwan) who had carried out the purge. When the faction split over the question of punishing Jeong Cheol, he supported the hardline position and became a Bukin together with Yi San-hae, Woo Seong-jeon, and others.
Political activities
Support for the accession of Gwanghaegun
In 1590 he passed the Jeunggwang civil examination with the rank of third class. After serving as a Jeongeon (正言), he was elevated to the rank of senior official (dangsanggwan) in 1595 and held the posts of Right Secretary (dongbu seungji) and Left Secretary (upbu seungji). In 1597 he was appointed as an Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of War (Byeongjo chamji) and was sent as Jinhasa (進賀使) to the Ming dynasty. He then served as Right Chief Secretary (upseungji), Left Chief Secretary (jwaseungji), and Governor of Gangwon Province (gangwondo gwalchalsa). In 1600 he was promoted to Vice Director of the Academy (buje hak). Afterward he served as Vice Minister of the Ministry of War (byeongjo chamui), Yejo chamui, Vice Minister of Rites (yejo champ'an), Ijo champ'an, and Governor of Gyeonggi Province (gyeonggido gwalchalsa).
He was an enemy of Yi San-hae even within the Bukin. He had Byeon Gyeong-yun expose the conduct of Yi San-hae and his son, thereby destroying the Yi San-hae faction. However, Mok Jang-heum (睦長欽) and his brother, who had been disliked by Gi Ja-heon, were impeached together with Yi San-hae's faction even though they did not belong to it.
In 1604 (37th year of Seonjo's reign) he was awarded first-class Seonmu Wonjong gongsin (宣武原從功臣一等).
In 1604 he was chosen as Right Director of the Office of the Inspector General and was promoted repeatedly, serving as Minister of Public Works, Minister of War, Minister of Rites, and Minister of Personnel before being promoted to Right State Councillor and Left State Councillor. At this time, Yu Yeong-gyeong of the Sobuk and others tried to block the accession of Gwanghaegun by putting forward Prince Yeongchang1, and he actively supported Gwanghaegun. When Seonjo tried to depose Gwanghaegun and make Prince Yeongchang crown prince, he opposed this to the end and enabled Gwanghaegun to ascend the throne.
In 1608 (the accession of Gwanghaegun), immediately after the case against Yu Yeong-gyeong, he was registered as first-class Jeongun Wonjong gongsin (定運功臣一等).
During the reign of Gwanghaegun
During the reign of Gwanghaegun, he belonged to the ruling Daebuk, but in 1611 he resigned, saying that the arbitrary conduct of the Daebuk faction had gone too far, and was then transferred to the post of Chungchubu pansa (中樞府判事).
Around this time he played the role of a Bangnap broker and amassed considerable wealth. In 1614 (6th year of Gwanghaegun) he became Chief State Councillor. In 1617, when the proposal to depose the queen arose, he warned in a strong remonstrance that it was unjustifiable, and was then expelled from the capital (munoe chulsong). In 1620, by special favor of Gwanghaegun, he was enfeoffed as Deokpyeong Buwon-gun and appointed Chungchubu yeongsa, but he declined. Because he had strongly opposed the deposition of Queen Dowager Inmok, contrary to the party line, he was stripped of his offices and exiled to Gilju in North Hamgyong Province. For this reason, he survived after the Injo Restoration, even though he had been a Daebuk.
In 1623, when Kim Yu and Yi Gwi and others approached him as an emissary while planning the Injo Restoration, he refused, saying that a subject could not depose a king. His conduct resembles that of the loyal minister Shin Su-geun, who was killed by a sword at Sugakgyo after refusing Park Won-jong's proposal of the 1506 Jungjong Restoration.
Conflict with Heo Gyun
Meanwhile, he came into conflict with Heo Gyun, one of the figures who strongly supported the deposition of Queen Dowager Inmok. Heo Gyun took the lead in advocating the deposition of the queen even more than Yi I-cheom and Jeong In-hong, and he repeatedly came into conflict with Gi Ja-heon, who opposed it. The deposition of the queen was decided and Gi Ja-heon was exiled to Gilju. Afterward, his son Gi Jun-gyeok regarded Gi Ja-heon's exile as the work of Heo Gyun, attacked him, and submitted a secret memorial to save his father, claiming that "Heo Gyun plotted treason," and a commotion arose. Heo Gyun immediately submitted his own memorial to explain that he had no connection with the matter.
After 12 December 1617, Heo Gyun rose to Left Assistant Councillor of the Uijeongbu, but Gi Jun-gyeok and others continued to submit memorials attacking him, claiming that he was plotting treason. In January 1618, Gi Jun-gyeok continued to submit memorials attacking Heo Gyun, and in January 1618 Heo Gyun became Left Assistant Councillor and again explained that he had no connection with treason. Consequently, in February of that year, Right State Councillor Han Hyo-sun and others led the senior officials of the second rank and above to interrogate Heo Gyun and Gi Ja-heon and requested that the matter be concluded. Heo Gyun also submitted a counter-memorial defending himself, but for some reason Gwanghaegun did not investigate the facts and left the matter unresolved. Meanwhile, some people continued to submit memorials impeaching Gi Ja-heon.
Then, when the granddaughter of Yi I-cheom, who was the crown princess of the crown prince, failed to bear a child, the daughter of Heo Gyun was selected as a concubine of the crown prince, and from that time Yi I-cheom regarded Heo Gyun as a target for removal. Thereafter, on 10 August 1618, an incident occurred in which a placard reading "To strike down a tyrannical king, the great general of Hanam, a certain Jeong, is coming..." was posted at Namdaemun. It is said that the August 1618 proclamation at Namdaemun was posted by Heo Gyun's confidant Hyeon Eung-min (玄應旻). In 1618 Gi Jun-gyeok submitted a memorial slandering Heo Gyun, claiming that he planned a rebellion by taking advantage of the king's trust. Heo Gyun submitted a memorial in opposition, but interrogations of Heo Gyun continued, and countless tortures were applied each time. Eventually, after Heo Gyun and Gi Jun-gyeok were brought face to face in a confrontational interrogation, Heo Gyun acknowledged that he had conspired in treason, and he was executed by dismemberment (neungji cheokchamhyeong) together with his confidants.
Injo Restoration and execution
When the Injo Restoration succeeded in 1623, he was summoned on the recommendation of Yi Won-ik and other Namin, but he declined and withdrew, saying that as one who had served the deposed king Gwanghaegun, he could not betray his former master. However, Injo suspected that he harbored other intentions and imprisoned him in the Uigeumbu prison without sufficient material evidence to prove the charge.
While he was held in prison on the charge of not responding when the king summoned former ministers (gusin), on 25 January 1624 Yi Gwal's rebellion broke out and Hanseong faced the danger of being captured. On the grounds that he might collude with Yi Gwal, the ruling Westerners (Seoin) had him executed by dismemberment together with 48 other political prisoners. Originally a poison was ordered, but it was changed to dismemberment. At that time, Left Assistant State Councillor Yi Gwi said that if there was guilt, they should interrogate and clarify it and then either exile or execute him, but Judge of the Uigeumbu Kim Ryu (金瑬) requested that he be killed because there was a risk of collusion. In addition, Kim Ja-jeom and others also petitioned for their execution. Among those executed was his second son, Gi Sun-gyeok (奇順格). At that time, all of his relatives were also executed. Afterward, through memorials by Yi Won-ik, Yi Gwi, and others, his name was restored and his status recovered.
After he was executed, his younger brother Gi Yun-heon and his son Gi Jun-gyeok (奇俊格) were also imprisoned. Gi Yun-heon died under the rod while still refusing to admit the charges, and his son Gi Jun-gyeok was executed.
Other
His cousin Gi Ik-heon (奇益獻) cooperated with Yi Gwal during Yi Gwal's rebellion, so disaster also befell his family.
According to the Veritable Records, there is also an assessment that he was generous of mind and meticulous in handling affairs.
Family
- Grandfather: Gi Dae-hang (奇大恒, 1519 – 1564)
- Father: Gi Eung-se (奇應世)
- Mother: Lady Im of Seonsan (善山 林氏), daughter of Im Baek-ryeong (林百齡)
- Wife: Lady Bubu Jeonju Yi Huiryeong (府夫人 全州李氏 稀齡, b. 1563 – death date unknown), eldest daughter of Haewon-gun, elder brother of Seonjo
- Eldest son: Gi Jun-gyeok (奇俊格, 1594 – 1624)
- Second son: Gi Sun-gyeok (奇順格, ? – 1624)
- Third son: Gi Sin-gyeok (奇愼格)
- Fourth son: Gi Min-gyeok (奇敏格)
- Eldest daughter: married into the Yi family of Yi Ji-seon (李志宣).
- Younger brother: Gi Yun-heon (奇允獻, ? – 1624, killed together with his elder brother Gi Ja-heon and others)
- Younger brother: Gi Tong-heon (奇通獻)
Family tree
Footnotes to the family tree
References
Notes